Strong Arm Steady

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Strong Arm Steady was formed in the shadows of the West Coast’s Death Row Records movement, which at one time, loomed large over much of the region’s talent. Many Los Angeles artists—themselves students and children of Death Row—were becoming frustrated at the gang mentality that...

The Madlib/Strong Arm Steady collaboration album In Search of Stoney Jackson came together in a flurry of creative energy over recent months. Prompted by Madlib’s... Read More

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Strong Arm Steady

Strong Arm Steady was formed in the shadows of the West Coast’s Death Row Records movement, which at one time, loomed large over much of the region’s talent. Many Los Angeles artists—themselves students and children of Death Row—were becoming frustrated at the gang mentality that colored perceptions of their burgeoning underground. Out of that frustration came resourcefulness and unity, and as unity grew into community, L.A.’s indie scene began to blossom, not in opposition to Death Row, but as an alternative. They are the new generation. They are Strong Arm Steady.
The original crew consists of like-minded MCs, DJs, and producers who are among California’s best: Krondon, Phil Da Agony, Mitchy Slick, Xzibit, Chase Infinite, Planet Asia, DJ Khalil, and DJ Truly OdD. To best represent the Strong Arm Steady brand for the purposes of recording and touring, the collective was pared down to four in Krondon, Phil Da Agony, Mitchy Slick, and Xzibit. As the business of music came more into play, Xzibit departed, leaving the remaining three as the group’s core.
Strong Arm Steady first joined with Stones Throw to release In Search of Stoney Jackson an LP produced entirely by Madlib. The album’s conception owes a great deal to World Famous Beat Junkie, J.Rocc, who provided the trio with close to 200 of the prolific beatsmith’s tracks to choose from. It’s a hip-hop jam session, with the group acting as the rhythm section for an all-star cast of guest vocalists.
The group released another album, Arms & Hammers, on the Blacksmith imprint in 2011, and returned to Stones Throw, teaming again with a single producer, Brooklyn's Statik Selektah for Stereotype. Oh No's remix of the album was Stereo Jr.